Katy father of two wins coveted prize for kolache creation

Katy man Andrew D'Amico won a coveted prize this week in a national Kolache contest for his pastry creation, which included mac and cheese, brisket and jalapenos. Learn some things you probably didn't know about Kolache Factory in the following gallery.

Katy man Andrew D'Amico won a coveted prize this week in a national Kolache contest for his pastry creation, which included mac and cheese, brisket and jalapenos. Learn some things you probably didn't know

Katy man Andrew D'Amico won a coveted prize this week in a national Kolache contest for his pastry creation, which included mac and cheese, brisket and jalapenos. Learn some things you probably didn't know about Kolache Factory in the following gallery.

Katy man Andrew D'Amico won a coveted prize this week in a national Kolache contest for his pastry creation, which included mac and cheese, brisket and jalapenos. Learn some things you probably didn't know

A Katy man will enjoy a free kolache and coffee every day for a year after being named "Kolache King" this week for his pastry creation.

Andrew D'Amico, a 35-year-old welding engineer from Katy with two young boys, won a national "Create a New Kolache" contest with his "Yes, Please!" flavor, which includes mac and cheese, brisket and jalapenos.

D'Amico said he entered the contest to feed his kids' habit of walking down the street to their local Kolache Factory store on the weekends. He was also inspired by his favorite late-night snack in college.

"There used to be a gas station [in college] that had half mac and cheese and half chili—stuff was amazing," he said.

The contest was part of the annual Kolache Olympics, which is sponsored every year by The Kolache Factory, a national bakery chain. The Olympics were previously reserved for Kolache Factory employees, but this year, customers were encouraged to participate.

The judges selected D'Amico over thousands of customer entries from 21 states to win the top prize of a free kolache and coffee every day for year, according to a press release from the company. The judges named the winner among five finalists Tuesday in Katy.

Jennifer Summers, a spokeswoman for the Kolache Factory, said D'Amico's flavor will be sold as a "flavor of the month" at locations across the country starting in 2019.

D'Amico, who works at a global construction company, said his co-workers have already given him a new nickname because of the prize.